Meet Katie Butler

We were lucky to catch up with Katie Butler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katie , sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

In January 2023, I launched my alcohol-free social media platform, “Alcohol Free in Dally,” after
realizing there was a need for a community where individuals could find support in navigating an
alcohol-free lifestyle in Dallas. I made the decision to stop drinking in 2021 and soon found
myself having numerous conversations with friends and family about sobriety. I wondered if
others were experiencing similar questions, and the idea of creating a space to share my
journey and experiences was born.
What started as Instagram and TikTok pages quickly blossomed into a community of sober and
sober-curious individuals in and around Dallas. In response to requests from followers, I began
hosting alcohol-free events in early 2024. These events include non-alcoholic tastings at local
gyms, wellness spaces, and non-alcoholic bottle shops, often in collaboration with brands such
as Recess, Cali Sober, and Athletic Brewing. To date, I’ve hosted over 20 events, with the goal
of demonstrating that Dallas offers plenty of fun, fulfilling, alcohol-free options, while building a
supportive community.

My motivation to get involved in the local community stems from a desire to show others that an
alcohol-free lifestyle doesn’t mean sacrificing social engagement or joy. Over the years, I’ve
received messages from people across all age groups asking about how to navigate social
situations and activities without alcohol. I wanted to create a space where people could explore
alcohol-free options and feel confident in their choices. In addition, I’ve discovered that Dallas
has several hidden gems, such as Beyond the Bar AF and Alive and Well Health, which share
my mission of creating supportive, alcohol-free spaces. It’s been incredibly rewarding to
highlight these places and individuals, showcasing a side of Dallas that’s inclusive and diverse.

I believe in the power of connection and authenticity. Whether I’m working with my team in a corporate setting or engaging with my 30K+ followers on TikTok, I try to foster a sense of trust
by being open, honest, and encouraging. When I share my story, it’s always from the
heart—there are no filters or edits. People resonate with this authenticity, and I’ve found that it
helps others feel less alone in their struggles. When people know they have support, it
motivates them to keep pushing forward.

I have always been my own worst critic and have had a habit of getting in my own way. My
toughest challenge has been overcoming my own self-doubt. I’ve struggled with anxiety and
depression for much of my life, and there are times when I let my mind wander into negative
spaces. It’s a constant battle to not let these feelings hold me back. But through my platform,
I’ve learned to embrace vulnerability and share my mental health journey, and I’m committed to
doing the work to overcome these challenges. By getting sober, I was able to actually reap the benefits of the medication and therapy tools that I was already using, and by sharing my story online, it helps me feel less alone and hopefully helps others feel less alone as well.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I make it a priority for all my alcohol-free events to be either free or low-cost, ensuring they’re
accessible to as many people as possible. These events have taken place in local fitness
studios such as Fit Social Club, Barry’s, Coast Cycle, and Wesley Wellness, as well as larger
events like the Sober Girl Walk Series in partnership with Alive and Well Health. My aim is
always to create inclusive spaces where people can learn, connect, and have fun—regardless
of their financial situation.

My motivation to get involved in the local community stems from a desire to show others that an alcohol-free lifestyle doesn’t mean sacrificing social engagement or joy. Over the years, I’ve received messages from people across all age groups asking about how to navigate social
situations and activities without alcohol. I wanted to create a space where people could explore
alcohol-free options and feel confident in their choices. In addition, I’ve discovered that Dallas
has several hidden gems, such as Beyond the Bar AF and Alive and Well Health, which share
my mission of creating supportive, alcohol-free spaces. It’s been incredibly rewarding to
highlight these places and individuals, showcasing a side of Dallas that’s inclusive and diverse.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Coaching: My first paid job was as a summer camp counselor at Camp Longhorn Indian Spring in Burnet,
TX, when I was in high school. Over the course of ten years, I worked with campers ranging
from ages eight to sixteen. It was a challenging, all-consuming job—working long shifts in the
Texas heat, managing various activities, and handling everything from minor injuries to camper
disputes. This experience taught me the importance of leadership, conflict resolution, and
setting a positive example. More importantly, it ignited my passion for mentoring and supporting
others, a thread that runs through my professional work, coaching, and community efforts today. I also have been an indoor cycling instructor for about five years, where I also am in a coaching environment. It has taught me to meet people where they are an inspire them despite how they walk into the room, their fitness level, how their day was, etc. My coaching background has definitely translated into my online platform and success.

2. Education: Journalism and my MBA in Marketing. It feels really incredible to have found a space to lean into the areas in which I studied in school. I studied journalism, digital media, and marketing in graduate and undergrad school, and to be able to use those skills and learnings to make relevant content online has been so helpful in getting my pages off the ground.

3. Tenacity: throughout my life, I have overcome obstacles. I was diagnosed with an extreme case of eczema all over my body since I was young, a case so bad it ended up with me having to go in and out of treatment for years. Pairing that with my mental health challenges, I know all too well how to overcome obstacles. Eczema made every part of my life harder as a kid; I couldn’t just go to a sleepover or pool party, but had to bring a bucket of medication with me and be ready for potential pain. However, it has made me tough, and to juggle a corporate job and building my own business requires tenacity.

My advice to anyone looking to start a business or go sober; do it before you’re ready and focus on one day at a time. There’s never going to be the right time to start so just start.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

While sobriety has certainly helped me cut down on anxious thoughts, I have always been my own worst critic and am constantly coaching myself in my mind in order to not let anxieties about failure get me down. However, I have been so blessed to have an amazing support system of family, friends, and therapy. Lately, I have found fitness to be a huge outlet as well; I recently completed my second half marathon and am training for a Hyrox race.

As of late, my biggest area of improvement has been not letting my own fears and anxieties stand in my way. I am making a commitment to do things before I am “ready’: in other words, signing up for that half marathon before I thought I was ready, making a sober event happen before I thought I was ready, and more. I.e. just going for it instead of thinking too hard about the outcome. I also have tried to learn how to enjoy the ride, I always am racing onto the next thing in life but often forget to enjoy the journey. I am trying to enjoy the “getting there” part in addition to “getting it,” whatever it may be.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: alcoholfreeindally
• Other: TikTok; Alcoholfreeindally

Image Credits

Morgan Reed Photography
Katherine Hughes Photography